"The 'help' Anon is talking about, it couldn't be that you want me to help your friend in Kamakura, could it?"
Kitahara Makoto's mind raced, and he immediately guessed the truth.
"Eh, how did scumbag-kun know?"
Chihaya Anon's eyes widened in surprise.
"When I first woke up this morning, Anon said she was going home, so obviously there was nothing to help with then." Kitahara Makoto said casually, "Now you suddenly say you need help, plus I remember Anon saying she had a friend in Kamakura when we were having breakfast, so of course I guessed it."
"What the heck." Chihaya Anon grumbled softly. "I just said it casually, and scumbag-kun remembered it so clearly."
Kitahara Makoto said seriously:
"Of course. I remember every mole on Anon-chan's body clearly, let alone what Anon-chan said."
"Pfft~"
Chihaya Anon's pretty face flushed, and she couldn't help but playfully glare at him in embarrassment:
"I don't have a mole on my body!"
Kitahara Makoto whispered, "It's clearly there…"
"Don't say it!"
Chihaya Anon quickly raised her hand, swiftly covering Kitahara Makoto's mouth, her pretty face flushed crimson as she said, "Forget about it!"
"I'm sorry." Kitahara Makoto's expression was innocent. "The impression in my mind is too deep; I can't forget it at all."
"Hmph~"
Chihaya Anon gently hummed, lifted her pretty face, and pouted, "That friend just messaged me, saying she saw a strange monster outside her window and was really scared… Scumbag-kun, please help."
"Please?"
"I'm begging you~"
"Please, please."
"…"
If it weren't for the fear of being seen, Anon would already be hugging Kitahara Makoto's arm and swaying back and forth.
Kitahara Makoto lowered his voice and said, "Drilling in and out of the mirror is actually very tiring, so if you want my help, Anon-chan should know what to do, right?"
"No way!"
Chihaya Anon's pretty face quickly flushed as she thought of something:
"Scumbag-kun just kissed so many people; it's already good that I'm not jealous. I'm definitely not going to practice those poses from the manga!"
Kitahara Makoto subtly moved the corner of his mouth and whispered, "Actually, I just wanted Anon's lap pillow, but since Anon-chan wants to relive the hentai, I can accompany her to the end."
Chihaya Anon: "…"
He definitely had to help.
Naturally, when building a harem, one must be fair. Having just rushed around with Mai, he certainly wouldn't refuse Anon now.
"We'll go out once we're done." Kitahara Makoto reached out and pinched Anon's pretty face; it felt exceptionally soft and bouncy. "Then we'll go to Kamakura again."
"Thank you, scumbag-kun."
Chihaya Anon thanked him happily.
"First, I'll share my ability with you…"
Looking at the pink-haired girl's charming eyes, Kitahara Makoto couldn't help but lower his head, wanting to kiss her.
Slap.
Chihaya Anon quickly raised her right hand, blocking Kitahara Makoto's mouth, and puffed out her cheeks, saying, "Scumbag-kun, go gargle first!"
"Ah…"
"And don't stick your tongue in!"
"…"
What happened next goes without saying.
With Nijika and others lending a hand, the cursed mist within mother-in-law and the idol girls was quickly stripped away.
However, mother-in-law's condition was not good. Although the cursed mist had been removed, her face was still very pale, and she was completely weak, falling directly into a coma.
"Should we send mom to the hospital?"
Mai couldn't help but cast a pleading gaze.
"Senpai, don't worry." Kitahara Makoto said softly, "Auntie's current condition is clearly a side effect of the curse. There's no need to go to the hospital; drinking Moonstar flower will suffice."
"That's right." Nijika explained from the side, "That's an item Kitahara-kun recently obtained. He said it's quite powerful and can cure most diseases in the world, super magical."
"…It's clearly super evil!"
Chihaya Anon couldn't help but inwardly complain, her mind involuntarily recalling the scene that night when she curiously drank 'starlight', a succubus pattern grew on her lower abdomen, and then she shared a body with Soyo.
Although several days had passed, all the scenes from that time were still incredibly clear.
Just a slight recollection made Chihaya Anon's pretty face quickly flush crimson.
"Anon, what's wrong?"
Tomori tilted her head and asked softly.
"I, I'm fine."
Chihaya Anon quickly shook her head, dispelling the messy images from her mind.
Tomori asked doubtfully, "But Anon's face is super red. Could it be a fever?"
Chihaya Anon raised her hand to cover her cheeks, and her fingertips immediately felt a burning temperature. She turned her head away guiltily and said, "Tomori-chan, don't worry, I just thought of something annoying… That's right, I'm so angry my face is red!"
"I feel like Anon is more like blushing."
"Tomori-chan, you're mistaken!"
"…"
Mother-in-law remained in Onsen Village to recuperate for the time being, Mai stayed to accompany her, and the younger sister-in-law and other idol girls came to thank Kitahara Makoto, then politely expressed their desire to leave, as their parents and relatives were still in Kamakura.
Kitahara Makoto naturally agreed and directly took them out of Onsen Village.
"We're out."
"What is this place?"
"How amazing, the location is actually in Tokyo."
"I'll call mom first."
"…"
After calming down, the idol girls thanked Kitahara Makoto again, then quickly contacted their families.
"Um…" Toyohama Nodoka hesitantly walked over, her pretty face slightly red, and said softly, "Could I borrow your charger?"
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow and looked over:
"I'm not called 'hey' or 'um'."
Toyohama Nodoka opened her mouth, then said softly with a red face, "I'm sorry…"
Apology is apology, but if this guy dared to tell her to call him brother-in-law, she would never give in!
Fortunately, Kitahara Makoto didn't make things difficult for her. He pointed a finger and said, "The charger is on the sofa; feel free to use it."
"Thank you."
Toyohama Nodoka breathed a sigh of relief and quickly thanked him.
Although Kamakura was eroded by mist, the network communication was not affected. After contacting their families, some people soon wept with joy.
Kitahara Makoto walked to Anon's side and whispered, "Anon, have you told your friend about the summoning ritual?"
Chihaya Anon nodded and said, "I've already told her. We can go anytime."
Kitahara Makoto said, "Then let's go now, but I need to share a new ability with Anon first."
Chihaya Anon's pretty face flushed slightly, naturally knowing that sharing abilities required the kissing ritual first:
"Scumbag-kun, hurry up and brush your teeth!"
Kitahara Makoto walked towards the bathroom.
Anon, meanwhile, secretly and stealthily, while no one was paying attention, quickly followed with tiny steps.
A moment later.
Kitahara Makoto finished washing up, reached out, and directly pulled the pink-haired girl into his embrace:
"Anon-chan, see if I brushed cleanly."
"I don't want to see… Mmph."
The girl's voice was quickly muffled in her mouth.
Unfortunately, just as Kitahara Makoto was about to advance, he was pushed away by Chihaya Anon, who pounded his chest with her small fists:
"F-first, let's go to my friend's place. We'll have plenty of time to kiss later…"
Kitahara Makoto held Anon's small hand, summoned the Hana, then drilled into the mirror together, quickly arriving in a strange girl's room.
"Anon-chan!"
As soon as they emerged from the mirror, a girl's surprised cry rang out beside them.
"Yoru-chan!"
Chihaya Anon responded happily, and the two girls huddled together, chattering away.
The black-haired, long-haired girl named Yoru-chan occasionally peeked at Kitahara Makoto, her face full of curiosity. Clearly, before coming, she had already learned Kitahara Makoto's basic information from Anon.
"Anon-chan's boyfriend is amazing~"
"Mmm-hmm."
Chihaya Anon proudly lifted her chin, smiling broadly:
"Actually, he's just so-so."
The black-haired, long-haired girl continued, "No wonder Anon-chan, even though she studied abroad, chose to drop out and come back. With such an amazing boyfriend, of course, you have to keep a close eye on him."
Chihaya Anon: "…"
Sorry, dropping out had nothing to do with Kitahara Makoto; it was entirely her own cold feet.
And watching him was useless anyway; this guy had already openly started a harem.
Kitahara Makoto stood quietly to the side, eyes downcast, not looking left or right.
"Ahem, let's talk business first." Chihaya Anon lightly coughed twice, quickly changing the subject, "Yoru-chan, didn't you say you saw a monster under the window just now?"
"That's right, that's right." The black-haired, long-haired girl quickly said, "I saw it clearly just now; it was a jellyfish monster!"
"Eh?"
"Anon-chan, believe me, I really didn't lie." The black-haired, long-haired girl quickly explained, "That thing had a jellyfish-like head but a human body. In short, it was super bizarre."
"I don't disbelieve you, Anon-chan, after all, I've also seen many incredible beings."
Chihaya Anon comforted her and said softly, "Kitahara-kun, could you check if that monster is still there?"
Kitahara Makoto walked to the window, looked outside, and quickly shook his head, saying, "I didn't see it."
Anon's friend's house was already shrouded in the cursed fog, but after obtaining Extraordinary Vision, neither the fog nor the heavy rain could obstruct Kitahara Makoto's sight. He could clearly see the streets were empty and eerily silent.
The black-haired girl whispered, "I saw that jellyfish monster drifting, it should have floated towards the neighbor's house."
Kitahara Makoto narrowed his eyes, his gaze slowly sweeping through the fog, then suddenly stopped.
"The neighbor with a pine tree planted at their entrance?"
"That's right." The black-haired girl quickly nodded, "It's in that direction."
Kitahara Makoto said in a deep voice, "Tomori-chan, come with me."
Chihaya Anon quickly raised her right hand and said, "I'll go with Kitahara-kun."
"No time."
Kitahara Makoto pushed open the window and jumped directly from the second floor.
"Ah—"
The black-haired girl was startled and nervously asked, "Anon-chan, boyfriend didn't get hurt, did he?"
"Don't worry, Kitahara is very strong." Chihaya Anon slightly raised her chin, but her pretty face soon showed a worried expression, "No time… what does that mean?"
Bang.
Kitahara Makoto landed steadily on the ground, splashing water everywhere.
Before the splashed water could even fall back to the ground, he had already transformed into an arrow shot from a bowstring, suddenly crashing into the rain and fog.
"Please… don't…"
Inside the neighbor's house.
A woman with a gentle hairstyle was kneeling on the ground, holding a child in her arms, trembling and pleading in despair. In front of the mother and child, a middle-aged man was kneeling on the ground, his head tilted back, mouth open, body trembling, and eyes filled with despair.
Opposite the three of them was a humanoid creature with a floating jellyfish for a head. At this moment, a tentacle extended from the jellyfish monster's head, already deep inside the man's throat. The translucent tentacle continuously contracted, as if devouring something. With each gulp, the man's face visibly aged a bit, and his hair had even turned gray.
The woman held her child, trembling, but for some unknown reason, she couldn't move at all.
Just as the woman was crying in despair, the door suddenly burst open with a bang.
Before the fog could even surge in, a figure rushed in with incredible speed, punching the jellyfish monster away.
The jellyfish monster, which had been unaffected when a stool was thrown at it earlier, let out a shrill scream when struck by Kitahara Makoto's fist.
Kitahara Makoto didn't hesitate, closing in and continuing to deliver heavy punches.
The woman holding the child was already stunned, staring wide-eyed at the sudden intruder and the living room, which looked as if it had been ravaged by a tornado.
A moment later.
The jellyfish-headed monster had turned into a puddle of mud, with only the tentacles on its head still capable of slight movement.
Kitahara Makoto lifted the jellyfish monster with one hand and walked over to the family of three.
"How did this monster get in?"
Kitahara Makoto asked in a deep voice.
The woman finally came to her senses and quickly replied, "I heard a knock on the door, and the voice sounded exactly like our neighbor. But when I opened the door, this monster was standing outside…"
Kitahara Makoto carried the jellyfish monster and walked out.
"Before the fog dissipates, do not open the door for anyone knocking."
"I, I understand." The woman sighed in relief, finally comprehending the situation before her, and kept expressing her gratitude, "Th-thank you. If it weren't for you… we would have…"
Kitahara Makoto waved his hand, not looking back, and said, "The fog is very dangerous. It's best to move to an upstairs room and avoid inhaling the fog."
After speaking, he simply walked out of the house, not forgetting to close the door behind him to prevent more fog from entering.
"Tomori-chan." Kitahara Makoto looked down at Hana, "What level is this guy?"
Hana tilted her head and looked at the jellyfish monster.
"Dessert."
"Here."
Kitahara Makoto casually tossed the jellyfish monster to Tomori, his expression quietly becoming serious.
While searching for mother-in-law earlier, he had seen an umbrella monster in the office building, and now he encountered a humanoid monster with a jellyfish head… this clearly couldn't be explained by coincidence.
After Tomori finished her dessert, Kitahara Makoto picked up Hana and returned downstairs to Anon's friend's house, then took out his phone to text Anon.
"Anon, open the window."
The window quickly opened.
Kitahara Makoto, holding Tomori, leaped up, directly reaching the second floor, then quickly closed the window.
"Kitahara-kun, you're all wet." Chihaya Anon exclaimed softly and quickly said, "Yoru-chan, do you have a towel? Let Kitahara wipe himself."
"Wait a moment, I'll get it right away."
The black-haired girl said and was about to leave.
"No need for that much trouble." Kitahara Makoto shook his head, "We're going back to Tokyo immediately."
"Eh?"
"The jellyfish monster has been eliminated…"
Kitahara Makoto's expression was serious as he briefly recounted his recent experience, then said sternly, "Remember, no matter who knocks on the door next, you must not open it."
The black-haired girl's face was full of apprehension, and she quickly nodded.
"I, I understand. I'll go downstairs and tell mom and Dad right away."
Kitahara Makoto said softly, "Anon, let's go back to Tokyo."
Chihaya Anon naturally wouldn't refuse and turned her head to say, "Yoru-chan, we're heading back first. Text me if anything happens."
"Okay…"
Kitahara Makoto took Anon's hand and quickly traveled back to Tokyo.
"Kitahara-kun, you're back?" Nijika looked over curiously, "How is Anon's friend?"
Kitahara Makoto said seriously, "Nijika-senpai, go call everyone over."
Seeing Kitahara Makoto's unusually serious expression, Nijika blinked, quickly agreed, and turned to call the girls over.
Soon after, Ryo, Kita, Soyo, and Tomori all came over.
"Kitahara-kun, what's wrong?"
"Your expression is so serious."
"Is there something you need our help with?"
"…"
Kitahara Makoto exhaled lightly and described in detail his encounter in Kamakura.
"Eh, eh, eh, monsters not only knock on doors but can also imitate human voices?" Nijika's eyes widened upon hearing this, "Then what about the residents of Kamakura?"
Although the fog was dangerous, one could simply hide at home.
But if there were monsters that could imitate human knocking, there would certainly be many casualties.
Soyo pursed her lips and speculated, "That umbrella monster and jellyfish monster feel so strange… Could they be monsters from Otherworld?"
Tomori nodded in agreement, "Soyo makes a good point."
Yamada Ryo crossed her arms over her chest and mused, "Everything has a cause and effect. I feel like those monsters must have some kind of connection to the fog."
Kita raised her right hand and whispered, "Kitahara-kun wants us to ask the answer book?"
"Exactly." Kitahara Makoto nodded, opened his backpack, and handed over the answer book. "There are three questions left, which should be enough… Kita, you ask first."
"Okay."
Kita quickly agreed.
After a brief discussion, the girls quickly decided on the next question to ask.
"What is the relationship between the jellyfish-headed monster and the umbrella monster that Kitahara-kun encountered, and the fog?"
Kita asked softly.
Whoosh.
The answer book began to rapidly turn pages on its own, without any wind.
Soon after, text quietly appeared on the book.
"The Cursed Fog can dissolve the world barrier, and Rain Demons arrive in Reality through weakened spatial nodes after erosion."
Although the text was brief, the information content was incredibly significant.
Chihaya Anon quickly gasped, "That fog can actually dissolve the barrier between two worlds?"
"Wait a minute…" Nijika's eyes widened, "Does that mean monsters from Otherworld could all come to the real world?"
Yamada Ryo crossed her arms over her chest, and her usually carefree and calm face now showed a serious expression.
"The problem is serious."
Soyo said nervously, "If all the monsters from Otherworld come to Reality, then wouldn't everyone in Kamakura…"
At this moment, everyone realized the gravity of the situation.
If the fog continued to spread, the spatial barrier between the two worlds would certainly become weaker and weaker. At that time, more and more monsters would descend upon the real world… Kamakura City might not have any survivors and would directly become a ghost town.